The day book. (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917, February 01, 1913, Image 14

Image and text provided by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL

set. But the wealthiest hostessesare proud to entertain SarahBernhardt. Why? Because sheis the world's greatest actress?No ! She might still be the greatest actress, but if she pulled down$18 a week the doors of the richand great would be slammed inher face."Why, I want to know, if thisrule applies to people in general,does it not apply to pugilists inparticular? A champion of theworld must have talent. Oncechampion, he gets the money.Why does he not move in society? "Let me elaborate the pointfurther. If railroad presidentsgot $2 a day, there would be plenty of section-hands willing totake the job of the present headof the Chicago & Milwaukee. Butif railroad presidents got $2 aday, their duties would be commensurate with their pay."Within your recollection andmine men fought for the price ofbeer and beans."But the requirements of pugilism increased with the size. ofthe purses. Young men began tostudy the art and its appliedbranches physical culture, anatomy, and so on."If I may say without seemingto boast," and here Mr. Corbett'sbrashes were hidden by the rouge,"I was one of the very first todiscover that a man needed, notonly brawn and courage, butbrains as well, to succeed in thering."One must think! An actormemorizing a part has plenty oftime for thinking. A businessman even a risk-taking captainof frenzied finance has five minutes, at the very least, in which tomake up his mind as to the nextmove in the game."But the world's champion,fighting desperately to retain histitle, bone-tired, his wind gone, ihis brain a whirl, must think.Not for an hour, not for five minutes, or one minute, or even onesecond. He must do all histhinking in a 20th part of a second. "But if he thinks wrong, he isa has-been and a failure."In what department of business, or science, or art, or sport,is the need of rapid and accuratethinking so great?"Therefore, I tell you that theday is coming and we will see itwhen the champions of theroped arena will be intellectual aswell as physical giants. Theywill have the bodies of a Jeffriesand the minds of an Edison or aMaxim or a Lombroso. They willbe as proud of their bulging'brows as of their chest measurement. "And society will be compelledto accept these champions onequal terms, just as it now accepts the corporation lawyers,and the railroad presidents, andthe successful artists and actors.For, to go .back to my originalcontention, aristocracy is basedon dollars, and talent gets themoney every time."And now," concluded Mr. Corbett, "I must ask you to excuseme. I go on next"